


Deleted Scenes from Excalibur 1 (2019)

by NotQuiteHydePark



Category: Excalibur (Comic), X-Men (Comicverse)
Genre: Cats, F/M, Fluff and Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-01
Updated: 2019-11-01
Packaged: 2021-01-16 04:16:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21264932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotQuiteHydePark/pseuds/NotQuiteHydePark





	Deleted Scenes from Excalibur 1 (2019)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Glowbug](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glowbug/gifts).

Rictor steps out from behind a stand of ferns and looks around, pulling the last compound leaf aside with his leather glove. “Where is everyone?” he asks. “Am I supposed to be somewhere already? Has anyone seen Shatterstar?” He pauses. “Shattybuns?”

*

Gambit turns meaningfully to Rogue, his eyes full of longing, a goblet in one hand. “Gambit miss cats, cheri. Gambit miss them so much.” He pauses, his soulful red eyes looking directly at the reader. “Cats are permitted on Krakoa, non? ‘Cause if Gambit cannot bring cats, no way Gambit live here.”

Rogue raises one eyebrow. Gambit's like that sometimes.

*

“What do you think about that third law?” Rogue asks. “Make more mutants?” Gambit gazes on her even more meaningfully and leans in, attempting a careful kiss. Making more mutants sounds good to him.

Rogue draws back slightly. “Sugar, I was hoping you’d say something more like ‘That sounds good, but not right away. I’d like us to get more confidence as a couple and have adventures together that don’t depend on your ability to get pregnant, nor on your future attempts to balance superhero life with child care. I dunno ‘bout you, cheri, but Gambit just so tired of plots that turn on whether somebody can be a mom and a hero too, unless we’re gonna ask every dad the same question.'” Then she smiles at him anyway.

Jubilee turns up on a balcony overlooking the lovebirds. “You called?”

“Not yet,” Rogue says. Gambit nods. He agrees with his wife after all.

Trinary’s on the same balcony. “Rogue?” she shouts across the beautiful streambed. “Sorry to interrupt, but I need you to come with me.”

*

Gambit doesn’t trust Apocalypse. “You ever done anything for that guy?” he asks. He knows the answer. “He looks down his nose at you the whole time like he knows he’s makin’ you do something nasty. Like a cat watchin’ you scoop the litter box.”

“My nose is not your concern!” Apocalypse booms.

“Remy, enough about the cats,” Rogue tries to shush her husband.

“But I like cats. So much,” Remy says. “I miss my cats.”

“This isn’t about us and what we like,” Rogue cautions him. “Not us or him or the cats. We’re all on the same team now.”

“But Apocalypse hates cats,” Gambit replies. “He just can’t abide ‘em.”

“Call me [glyph including the letter A],” announces the millenia-old mutant formerly known as En Sabah Nur, and as Apocalypse.

“Ay-yay-yay,” says Rogue.

“No,” announces [glyph including the letter A]. “More like Aaaaaaaahhhhh.”

“Working for Apocalypse be like a trip to the dentist,” Gambit reacts, keeping his distance from the big blue ex-villain. Rogue stands between them.

“Eh!” Trinary interjects.

“Exactly,” says [glyph including the letter A], almost smiling.

“No,” Trinary says, “I wasn’t trying to pronounce your name. I was expressing my own frustration at the level of tech support our friends on Krakoa seem to require. It’s like Isle of the Mutant Grandpas here. Nobody can work their damn phone.”

“I am far older than your grandparents!” declares [glyph including the letter A], and towering over Trinary. Gambit takes a few more steps back, almost out of the frame.

“That’s right, Apocalypse,” Rogue says. She looks impatient. “You are the oldest one here.”

“Call me [glyph including the letter A],” he replies.

“Not till you’re nicer to cats.” We see Gambit only as a shadow in a trenchcoat now, apart from the others, as the sun sets on Krakoa.

“I cannot be what you call nice to the feline species! Cats were worshipped in ancient Egypt instead of meeee!” [glyph including the letter A] explains.

“And rightly too,” Gambit finishes, turning his back.

“This isn’t about us or him,” Rogue says. “We’re all on the same team now. And Betsy needs us.”

*

Rictor is eating a blueberry muffin and speaking to other mutants off-panel, in Spanish. He switches to English to address the reader. “Anyone found Shatterstar? I’m really worried. I’ve been looking all day.” He stares at the ferns, the streams, the partygoers, in a three-panel dance of longing and unease.

*

“Jubilee, you will need to allow me to probe your mind--” says [glyph including the letter A].

“Jerkface,” says Jubilee.

“—for your interaction with her,” he finishes.

“You are a nosey parker,” Jubilee answers.

Apocalypse just stares at her. Rogue and Trinary stare at him.

Jubilee scrunches her eyebrows together under those pink sunglasses. “Fiiiiine,” she says. “Jerkface.”

*

Dramatically, with flying leaves and roots, the Krakoan foliage around the gate—perhaps a No-Place, a Krakoan tumor?—engulfs Rogue’s arm, taking her down. Now she’s a pale white body amid the tendrils, trapped in repose, arms crossed over her chest.

“It was seeking a host,” [glyph including the letter A] explains.

“Is she asleep?” Gambit asks, plaintive. “It’s not like Gambit could just wake her up with a kiss. Wouldn’t be safe, cheri.”

Jubilee butts in. The next panel centers her head. “Not another Sleeping Beauty story. Jeez Louise Simonson. Like anyone needs to see Remy here put through another round of trials in order to show his devotion to Rogue. Been there, done that. Prob’ly since before I had sunglasses. Whole point of this lady is she’s not the damsel in distress, she’s the one who does the rescuing.”

Jubilee’s body language shows her impatience. “I gotta go pick up Shogo. Also, if you two still wanna make more mutants when she wakes up, line up child care first. We lucked out with Jono.”

Trinary shrugs. Her phone pings again.

*

“Hail Captain Britain,” [glyph including the letter A] announces portentously.

“Stop staring at me like that,” says the new Captain Britain, Betsy Braddock, pointing with an open palm at the still-slumbering white body amid the leaves. “What happened to Rogue?”

“Patriarchy,” says Jubilee.

“I can take care of that,” says Betsy, fingering her sword.

*

“Shatterstar?” asks Rictor. “Boom-Boom? Sam? Terry? Anyone? Shatterstar?”


End file.
